Ready, Set, GO!
by Santashelper834
Summary: The sweet and lovely Lenalee is in her junior year at Black Order High. She is captain of the track team, has plenty of friends and fantastic grades. Life is going great until a serious obstacle causes a chain of events to happen that she never saw coming.
1. Where's Kanda?

**I haven't read/watched Man in a _really_ long time. So, I apologize in advance for any OOC. **  
**My goal for this story is something simple without a lot of drama. Let's see how it turns out, shall we?**

* * *

_Chapter 1: Where's Kanda?_

"On your mark, get set…GO!" The coach shouted and five teenage girls sprinted down the track. An assistant coach stood at the 400 meter mark with a stopwatch. "Smith, Adams, Kim, Johnson, and Lee, you're up next!" the coach shouted again.

The next five girls walked up to the starting line, all sporting the same attire- black running shorts and black t-shirts with silver lettering that read: "Black Order High" with their last name on the back.

One girl stood out amongst the rest. The shorts made her legs look even longer and her long, dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She was known for her beauty and kindness which made her one of the most popular girls in school.

She gracefully walked up to the line and crouched down in a starting position along with the others. Concentration and determination were etched on her face. It was just practice but she was determined to be better this year.

"On your mark, get set…GO!" The coach yelled and the girls were off.

Once at the finish line the assistant coach stopped the watch. "Good job, Lenalee! You were three seconds ahead of the others," he said happily and blushed lightly when she smiled at him.

"Really?" she asked excitedly. She hadn't been paying attention to the other girls racing.

"Keep up the good work and our school is sure to be in first place this year."

"I will!" she said and cheerfully ran off to her bag to take a swig of water.

An hour later, practice was over and everyone packed up their bags and headed home. Lenalee grabbed her belongs and searched through the crowd. "Where in the world is Kanda?" she mumbled quietly. "He said he'd take me home." She looked around a little more then headed to the school thinking he might have gone inside.

Black Order High School was a large, modern style building with grey cinderblock walls and large windows overlooking the lush green grass and surrounding forest. At the front of the building waved a black flag with a multiple pointed star. Because the school was so big into sports, there were many fields and courts along with an indoor swimming pool.

Lenalee had just reached the front doors when they swung open forcefully, hitting her and causing her to fall backwards. "Ouch!" she yelped.

"Sorry about that Lenalee," said a male voice, "I didn't see you!"

A hand with multiple rings stretched out in front of her. She took it and looked up as she was pulled to her feet. The student had bright red hair, an eye patch covering one of his sparkling green eyes, and a thick bandana over his forehead.

"Its okay, Lavi but you should really pay more attention to where you're going," she replied in a teasing manner.

"Sorry," he said again and rubbed the back of his neck apologetically.

"Hey, have you seen Kanda? He said he would take me home after practice today."

Lavi shook his head. "Nope, haven't seen him since lunch, but I'll help you look for him."

"Okay, thanks!"

They walked through the school's hallways for a few minutes, Lavi occasionally calling out Kanda's name.

Lenalee and Lavi were relatively good friends, but she wasn't as close to him as she was with Kanda or Allen mainly because she hadn't known him as long. He transferred to Black Order High as a sophomore, her freshman year, and almost instantly befriended Allen, Kanda and Krory. He was well liked by his peers because of his fun loving and cheerful personality. And also pretty popular with the ladies because he was so tall- except that Kanda usually stole the spotlight with his feminine good looks.

"Why are you still at school so late anyway?" Lenalee asked, trying to start a conversation.

"I had a Knowledge Bowl meeting," Lavi replied casually. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he peered inside a classroom.

"Knowledge Bowl?" Lavi was too cool to be in a club like that.

"Don't judge, don't judge!" he said with a light chuckle. "They asked me to join and I said yes. Besides, I need some extracurricular activities on my transcript if I want to get into a good college."

"You should join track then!" Lenalee suggested enthusiastically.

"Ha! I don't think so. Running takes too much work. How do you think I keep a figure like this?" he asked while patting his flat stomach. "By not doing _any_ exercise."

Lenalee giggled. "Whatever, Lavi."

After another couple of minutes searching for Kanda, they both stopped down one of the many long hallways.

"Have you tried calling him?" Lavi suggested.

Lenalee looked down with embarrassment. "No, I left my phone at home."

"Here, you can use mine." He pulled out his phone from his bag. "I don't know if he'll answer though, he never answers when I call." A mischievous grin spread across his face as he dialed Kanda's number.

The phone rang a few times until an angry voice yelled on the other side. "WHAT, Lavi!?"

"Ah, he answered," he replied with mild surprise and handed the phone to Lenalee.

"Um, hi Kanda. It's me. Where are you?" she asked timidly.

There was silence for a good ten seconds. "I'm at home," Kanda finally replied. "I forgot about taking you home today. I can go back to the school and get you."

"That's okay; you don't have to do that. I'll just walk home."

"I can take you," Lavi piped up.

"Are you sure?"

"Yup, it's not a big deal." He smiled cheerfully.

"Okay Kanda, Lavi is taking me home."

"Alright."

"I'll see you tomorrow at school!"

"Yeah." Was all he said then the line went dead. Leanalee handed back Lavi's phone.

"A man of few words," commented Lavi while putting the phone back in his bag and pulling out his car keys. "Should we go then? Gramps won't be very happy that I came home so late."

She nodded. "Yeah, my brother won't be very happy either."

They walked out of the school together to the only car in the parking lot. Lavi started the engine of his blue Subaru and some old school rock blared on. He turned it down a little and headed out to the main road.

"Nice music," Lenalee said.

He grinned sheepishly. "Thanks, I'm a sucker for the oldies."

"It's cool, I like it." They stopped at a red light and she asked, "Do you even know where I live?"

"Yeah, I've been there before."

"You have? When?"

"It was a while ago, I didn't go inside. I was walking with Allen once and he had to stop by your house." He flashed a lopsided grin. "Don't worry, I'm not a stalker."

She giggled behind her hand. "That's good."

Lavi pulled into the driveway of a modest sized, pale yellow house with red shutters and a small front porch. Once the car stopped, Lenalee hopped out and grabbed her bag.

Before shutting the door she said, "Thanks for giving me a ride, Lavi! I'll see you tomorrow!"

He waved a hand slightly. "No problem. See ya!" Then he pulled out and sped down the road.

Lenalee unlocked the front door and stepped inside shouting, "Brother, I'm home!" But there was no answer. She let out a sigh of relief. Now she could have some peace and quiet for once.

She turned on the computer and checked Facebook but nothing new was happening besides Allen changing his profile picture to a huge plate of food. After a few minutes, she logged out and pulled up Youtube. Searching for an old school playlist, she found the perfect one and played it while preparing dinner.

An hour later, the front door opened and a shrill male voice yelled above the music, "My sweet Lenalee, I'm home!"

"Welcome home, Brother! You're just in time for dinner." she replied cheerfully, poking her head into the hallway.

"What are you listening to?" Komui asked as Boston's "More than a Feeling" blared through the computer.

Lenalee paused the song. "Oh just some music my friend was listening to in his car," she answered casually.

"_His_ car?" Her brother repeated with a crazy look in his eyes.

"Yes Brother, it was a boy." She sighed. "You don't have to worry he's _just_ a friend!"

Komui rushed over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Lenalee. My sweet, innocent Lenalee," he said in a quiet voice then shook her violently. "Boys are bad! All of them! They will try to take you away from me! Don't let them take you away from me!"

"Brother! Stop it! Just sit down and eat your dinner!" she snapped back, and then whispered under her breath, "I'll never have a boyfriend _to_ take me away with the way you're acting." Luckily he didn't hear her.

Later that evening, Lenalee closed her textbook after finishing her homework. She then turned off the light and climbed under her purple sheets with a smile. It was just another typical day for her and she loved every minute of it.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! If you have any questions, ideas, feedback, whatever, feel free to let me know! :D**


	2. Beansprout

**Chapter 2 is here! Thanks so much for the reviews! :D  
Please enjoy! **

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_Chapter 2: Beansprout_

A month passed and school proceeded like always. Classes hadn't started yet for the day but Lavi was already falling asleep. He was slouched down in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest and his head drooping off to the side. He was one of those students who didn't have to study or pay attention in class to get good grades-he naturally retained information-so he always slept in class. Being in his senior year, all of the teachers were used to it, so used to it in fact that if he _didn't_ sleep they would get worried.

Suddenly, someone stormed into the room, marched straight to Lavi's desk and slammed a textbook down in front of him. Lavi jumped and immediately woke up. When he saw the student and the textbook open to the front page, a devilish grin spread across his face. It was Allen and his was fuming.

"You erased my name and put Beansprout in _all of my textbooks_!" he shouted while shoving the book in Lavi's face. Sure enough, in large letters, was the word "beansprout" written across the page in black permanent marker.

"I did that ages ago," he replied while gently pushing the book away. "I think Beansprout needs to do a better job with his homework."

That last comment made Allen even angrier but before he could do or say anything, Kanda walked in the room.

"What are you doing in here, Beansprout?"

Then it happened, Allen exploded with the force of a volcano. Everyone in the classroom turned to watch as he clenched his fists and his face turned an alarming shade of red.

"Do you want a piece of me, Kanda?!" Allen shouted.

"Actually, I do," he replied menacingly while placing his bag on a nearby desk.

_Oh no, this isn't good. _Lavi stood up and rushed in between the two. "Hey guys, there's no need to fight…"

"Shut up! This is all your fault, Lavi! You're the one who started everything!" Allen shouted. Then he pulled back his arm and punched him right across the face.

The whole classroom gasped as Lavi staggered backwards. His green eye opened wide with shock. When the bell rang signaling class to begin, Allen stormed out of the room, cursing Lavi and Kanda under his breath.

Lavi rubbed his sore face while laughing. "I enjoy pissing him off way too much. Oh look! He forgot his book."

During the next class the intercom came on and a woman's voice said hesitantly, "Will someone named Beansprout please come to the office? Your book was found."

* * *

At lunch the group of friends sat together as usual. Lavi had his nose in a book, Kanda was eating his soba noodles with furrowed brows, Miranda was sitting quietly, and Allen and Krory were having some sort of discussion while Allen stuffed his face.

Lenalee slid into a spot next to Lavi with a tray of food. "Guys, you won't believe what happened!" she exclaimed, an excited smile present on her lips. "I just became hurdles captain!"

"That's awesome!'

"Congratulations!"

"Well done."

"Niiiiice!"

"You deserve it, Lenalee!"

Everyone said at once and she beamed even brighter.

"What are you reading?" Lenalee asked a few minutes later, leaning closer to Lavi.

"_The Alchemist_," he answered, closing the book so she could see the cover. "I usually don't read fictional books but this one is really good. It's about a shepherd kid who travels around looking for treasure, only to realize that the most important treasure isn't materialistic but is found all around him. Like in the sun and the sand; like his sheep and a girl he fell in love with." His face lit up like it always did when he talked about books.

"It sounds really good. Can I borrow it when you're finished?"

"Sure, you can take it now if you want." He handed the book to her. "I've already read it once."

"Thank you! I'll take good care of it." Lenalee's sweet smile faltered when she looked up at him. "What happened to your face?!" she asked while pointing to the bruise on his cheek.

Lavi looked over at Allen who glared at him. "I fought a bear, a very angry bear," he said and gave her a wink. "I guess I deserved it though." He glanced back at Allen pitifully and Allen rolled his eyes.

"Well, stop fighting bears or you'll get killed," Lenalee played along.

"Allen, we're all going to your house today, right?" Krory asked just as the bell rang signaling the end of lunch.

"That's right."

"And that means game night!" Lavi shouted, raising his arms over his head triumphantly.

* * *

It was after school and Lavi was searching for Kanda-he always seemed to go missing. He tried calling him a couple times but no one answered. He peered inside the pool area next. There was a group of giggling girls on the bleachers watching someone swimming laps. It had to be Kanda.

Sure enough, when Lavi stood by the edge of the pool, he could easily tell it was him by his long hair floating around him. He looked over at the girls who hadn't noticed him standing there. He folded his arms. There was only one way to get Kanda's attention: do something stupid and piss him off. Lavi's specialty.

So, Lavi took off his bandana and threw it to the side then stripped off his clothes until he was only in his boxers. "CANNON BALL!" he shouted. He took a running start and jumped in the pool, almost landing on top of Kanda.

Once he resurfaced Kanda yelled, "What the hell, Lavi?!"

"Hey Yuu, I thought you could use some company."

"Go drown," he growled and pushed Lavi under.

"So cruel," he mumbled when he resurfaced a second time.

There were "ohs" and "ahs" from the girls as Kanda pulled himself out of the water.

"You're going to Allen's later, right?" Lavi asked, staying in the water and swimming around a little.

"Whatever," he replied.

Lavi took that as a yes. "Excellent!"

"Are you in your underwear?" Kanda asked eyeing the pile of clothes to the side as he dried his hair and Lavi climbed out of the pool. The group of girls went still, waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, I didn't bring swim trunks. What's the big deal?" he said as he stood up after getting out of the water and the girls started whispering excitedly to each other.

"Tch."

"Hmm, I didn't think about what to wear when I got out… Guess I'll have to go commando." A fit of giggles escaped the teenage girls. Lavi twiddled his fingers at them. "Hey ladies."

"Change in the locker room then!" Kanda shouted with annoyance, shoving Lavi foreword.

"Wait, I need my clothes!" He grabbed his clothes and shoes, and chased after Kanda. "Can I use your towel?"

"Hell no!"

* * *

It was an all guys party at Allen's place. Every other weekend the group of friends would get together at someone's house to play video games and hang out. This time it was Allen's turn to be the host- luckily Cross wasn't at home.

Music played throughout the house and an assortment of snacks was spread all over the living room floor. Krory, Kanda and Lavi were playing Halo on the Xbox while Allen took a break to eat as much food as he could.

"Lavi, can I ask you a question?" Allen asked before he stuffed a handful of popcorn in his mouth.

"Yeah, what's up?" Lavi replied without looking away from the screen and blasted one of the other players to bits.

Allen hesitated before asking, "Do you mind if I ask Lenalee to the fall dance?"

"Why are you asking me?" he said, still keeping his eyes on the screen.

"Because you seem to be hanging around her more so I didn't know if you…" Allen trailed off.

"Do what you want," Lavi replied nonchalantly. "She's not really…Screw you Kanda! Take that! She's not really my type."

"Hey, that was me!" Krory cried.

"My bad, Krorykins."

"Good luck asking her, Beansprout," Kanda added in. "You'll have to deal with her brother."

A vein in Allen's temple pulsed at the mention of beansprout. "That's it! Give me one of those controllers! You're all going down!"

"Bring it," Kanda growled.

* * *

**I have no idea what guys do at parties (since I'm not a guy). Maybe they talk about girls, play truth or dare, watch the Justin Bieber movie... NAH!  
**

_**The Alchemist**_**by Paulo Coelho- has anyone ever read it? I love that book. I thought it _might_ be something Lavi would read and that Lenalee would be interested in so that's why I used it in the story. ****  
**

**Thank you for reading! **


	3. Date

**Sorry guys, I didn't realize how long it had been since I last updated. Please enjoy chapter 3! :)**

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_Chapter 3: Date_

As the seasons changed, the once green leaves turned red and gold and gently fluttered to the earth. The colder weather also brought rain and freezing wind. Shorts and tank tops were tucked away, and sweaters and boots were pulled out.

It was in between classes and Lenalee was at her locker getting her math textbook. She closed her locker with a loud snap and noticed Allen walking over.

"Hey Allen, how are you?" she asked and smiled brightly once he reached her.

"I'm good."

"Are you ready for math class?"

Allen simply nodded while looking down at the ground.

"Is something wrong?" Lenalee tilted her head a little to the side to get a better look at his face. A light blush spread across his cheeks and he ran a hand through his hair nervously.

"Are you going to the dance next month?" Allen finally asked.

The smile on her lips widened. She knew exactly what was going on. "I want to go but no one's asked me yet."

Allen's head perked up at what she said. "Do…do you want to go with me?"

"I would love to!"Lenalee threw her arms around his neck. "I'm glad you asked me!" The bell rang for class and she took his hand. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

A week before the dance, Lenalee was at the mall searching for the perfect dress with a longtime family friend, Anita. At one of the popular formal stores, beautiful dresses of every color and shape hung from the racks; the best ones were worn by mannequins to be displayed.

"What about this one?" Lenalee came out of the dressing room stall in a sparkly blue dress and did a little twirl. The silky fabric fanned out to her knees.

"It's too long."

"Too long? It goes to my knees."

"Exactly, you have amazing legs! You need to show them off." Anita handed her another dress. "Try this one on." Lenalee sighed but did as she was told, and went back to the stall and slipped out of the blue one.

"So, tell me about this boy you're going with," Anita asked.

Lenalee was glad she was hidden behind a door so Anita couldn't see the blush creeping up to her cheeks. "His name is Allen. We met in 9th grade and have been friends ever since."

"Do you like him?"

Lenalee could feel her whole body flush. "Um… What do you mean?"

Anita chuckled lightly. "I mean could he be a potential boyfriend?"

There was a long pause before anyone made a sound. "Oh, I'm…I'm not sure. I do like him though," she answered quietly. After pressing her fingers on her cheeks to make sure they weren't warm anymore, Lenalee stepped out to show Anita the dress.

Anita's eyes widened. "You look stunning!"

Lenalee caught her reflection in the mirror. The dress was beautiful and she did like how it looked on her. It was black with a tulle bottom that came up mid-thigh, and had a wide, pale pink sash that accentuated her waist.

"Why don't you change and then we can find some shoes for you."

* * *

It was the night of the dance and Lenalee could hardly contain her excitement. Anita was with her again helping her get ready. She sat in a robe on the toilet seat as Anita curled her hair and did her makeup. Once that was done, she slipped into her dress and black shoes.

Lenalee headed to the living room where Komui and Anita were arguing about her going out on her first date. She stood in the middle of the room and spun in a circle.

"How do I look?"

Komui and Anita instantly stopped and stared wide-eyed at her. A huge smile burst from Anita's lips and Komui busted into sobs. Anita ran up to her and took her hands.

"He is going to fall head over heels when he sees you!"

"Lenalee! Please don't leave me! Why can't you stay here with your big brother and we can go out for ice cream like we use to?" Komui cried and clung to her arm.

"Brother!" Lenalee yelled and attempted to pull him off when the doorbell rang. Everyone instantly stiffened.

"Lenalee, get the door, I'll hold Komui back," Anita whispered frantically.

First smoothing out her dress and hair, she then rushed over to the door and slowly opened it revealing her date for the evening. Allen stood in a black suit and tie on the porch, smiling shyly.

"You look really…nice," he said, keeping his eyes on the ground.

"Thank you. Why don't you come inside for a while?" Lenalee stepped aside and held the door open for him.

As soon as Allen stepped foot in the house, Komui attacked. He took Allen by the collar. "I have no choice but to let my sweet, little sister go with you." He glared at Anita who had her arms across her chest glaring right back. "But if you lay _one_ finger on her, I will hunt you down and make you wish you were never born! Got that?"

Allen raised his hands in surrender. "I won't do anything to her, sir."

"Brother, will you quit it!" Lenalee scolded and yanked Komui off him. "It's just a school dance."

"Do you know what they do at dances?" he cried.

"Dance?" she replied smartly. She was starting to get really annoyed.

"Alright, alright," said Anita, "Give the poor boy some room to breathe and stop threatening him." Komui plopped down on the couch with a loud "humph" and started muttering to his bunny mug. Somehow Anita was the only one who could control him.

"I want to take a few pictures and then you two can leave!" Anita said happily. She positioned Allen and Lenalee side by side and took out her camera. After a few snaps she pushed them gently out the door.

"Have fun you two!"

"Sorry about how my brother acted," she said quietly to Allen as they walked to his car.

"It's okay," he smiled. "He wants to protect you; that's how all older brothers are." He held the door open for her and she slid inside.

They reached the school in no time, but finding a parking spot was another story. After finally finding one hidden between two large trucks, they walked through the front doors, arm in arm. Allen gave the man at the door their tickets and they entered the decorated gym. Glittering lights hung from the ceiling, bright colored tablecloths draped from the tables, and balloons littered the dance floor. A fast paced song came on and hundreds of couples flooded the dancing area.

"What should we do first?" Allen practically yelled over the music.

"Let's dance!" Lenalee shouted enthusiastically and pulled him by the hand to the center of the room.

They joined the other couples and Lenalee started dancing around but Allen only stood and shuffled on his feet awkwardly. She giggled and took his hands and tried to get him to move. "You're supposed to dance not shuffle around."

"I can't dance," he replied with embarrassment.

"Just move like this." Lenalee took his shoulders and shook them back and forth. They laughed together as she attempted to teach him some moves. Then the song ended and a slow one came on.

Many couples left to the tables for food. Lenalee and Allen were among the ones who stayed. They glanced at each other nervously until Allen took her hands in a dancing position.

They swayed along with the music, at least tried to, and whenever they caught the other's eye, they would blush and quickly look away. Lenalee scanned the gym searching for any familiar faces. She found Krory and Miranda dancing together, and a few others from her classes but that was it.

"I knew Kanda wouldn't be here," she said, "but I'm surprised Lavi isn't."

"He said he didn't want to go to any of the dances," Allen replied.

"Why, it's his senior year?"

"I think it's because of Sachiko."

* * *

Lavi was sprawled out on his bed happily reading a book. He inherited his love of knowledge and books from his grandfather- who was outside smoking at the moment. His parents had passed away when he was very young and ever since then he had been staying with his old man.

They lived in a small, two bedroom apartment downtown. They had very little possessions, just the bare necessities, but that suited their lifestyle just fine. The only thing they had an overabundance of was books. Piles of books were scattered here and there around their entire apartment.

Lavi's phone vibrated beside him and he flipped it open. It was a text from Krory.

**Everyone keeps asking where you are. **

Lavi sighed and closed his book. He really didn't think people would care _that_ much that he didn't go to a school dance. He texted a reply back:

**Just tell them the truth, Krory-kins. I didn't want to go because of Sachiko. **

Sachiko, whom he liked to call Chomesuke, was his ex-girlfriend. She had moved halfway across the country last summer and having a long distance relationship didn't appeal to either of them. They had been quite the pair when they were together. Their similar mischievous personalities got them in the worst sort of trouble. However, when Chomesuke left, his life got kind of boring and he didn't like the idea of going to a dance by himself or with someone else. It wouldn't be the same.

The phone vibrated again.

**Okay. Sorry for bothering you.**

**It's all good, Krory-kins. Have fun with Miranda! ^.^**

Lavi stood up from his bed and walked to the living room to find his grandfather there.

"Why aren't you at the dance?"

Lavi's mouth gaped open. "You're not seriously asking me that, Old Panda?" he replied aghast.

"You're right," Gramps said indifferently, "I don't really care."

The redhead grinned and shook his head gently. "Why do I put up with this geezer?" he mumbled to himself.

* * *

The day after the Fall dance, Lenalee was in her room chatting with Anita on the phone and painting her toenails. She wanted to know every last detail about the date.

"After the dance was over, he took me home and we hugged goodbye," Lenalee was saying.

"So no kissing?"

"Anita! Of course not, it was only the first date!" She blushed and nearly tipped over her red nail polish.

"That's disappointing. So, it sounds like you had a lot of fun."

"I did have fun and Allen is really great…" Lenalee paused to gather her thoughts. "But I feel like, I don't know, like something is missing."

"Well, it was only a first date. You guys were both nervous, so give him another chance."

"You're right, Anita. I shouldn't make judgments so quickly. I still really like him after all."

* * *

**I hope you guys liked it. Thank you all for your support! **


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